Mark Devlin is a UK-based club and radio DJ and music journalist, specialising in black/ dance music in its many forms.
In more recent years he has begun speaking on radio and at events about the dark forces that have been manipulating the music industry for decades. This led to the publication of his book 'Musical Truth' in 2016, with Volume 2 following in early 2018.
The one-stop shop for all audio output is:
https://www.spreaker.com/user/markdevlin.
E-mail: mark@markdevlin.co.uk

Friday, 30 December 2011

So here we go with the latest three-part instalment in the Bangers series - the big dancefloor slammers of the past twelve months.

It's getting harder to label these given the continued blurring of genres, but the first consists of what passes for mainstream "R&B" and "hip-hop" in 2011, and gives a useful indicator of where the music has been at for the past 12 months. I'll say no more on that.

For a more interesting excursion, therefore, hit the Reggae Dancehall mix, while once again, the most musically inspiring one for me is the UK Funky/ Dubstep offering. Plenty of exclusives there that will be of particular interest to anyone outside of the UK, and some speaker-shattering basslines.

Friday, 23 December 2011

‘Tales From The Flipside’ is a witty and candid expose of life at the sharp end of the DJing game. Armed with 20 years of anecdotes from out on the road, Mark Devlin breaks down what life is really like for the average non-superstar DJ ... and the truth is often very different from the common perception.

In this special podcast, MD relates some of the favourite stories in the book.

'Flipside' is an ideal present for any DJ, aspiring DJ, or anyone who's ever been curious about what it is that DJs actually do! Copies are available for £9.99 inc. P&P as part of a current special promotion. Please e-mail mark@markdevlin.co.uk direct to request your copy.

So here we go with the latest three-part instalment in the Bangers series - the big dancefloor slammers of the past twelve months.

It's getting harder to label these given the continued blurring of genres, but the first consists of what passes for mainstream "R&B" and "hip-hop" in 2011, and gives a useful indicator of where the music has been at for the past 12 months. I'll say no more on that.

For a more interesting excursion, therefore, hit the Reggae Dancehall mix, while once again, the most musically inspiring one for me is the UK Funky/ Dubstep offering. Plenty of exclusives there that will be of particular interest to anyone outside of the UK, and some speaker-shattering basslines.

So here we go with the latest three-part instalment in the Bangers series - the big dancefloor slammers of the past twelve months.

It's getting harder to label these given the continued blurring of genres, but the first consists of what passes for mainstream "R&B" and "hip-hop" in 2011, and gives a useful indicator of where the music has been at for the past 12 months. I'll say no more on that.

For a more interesting excursion, therefore, hit the Reggae Dancehall mix, while once again, the most musically inspiring one for me is the UK Funky/ Dubstep offering. Plenty of exclusives there that will be of particular interest to anyone outside of the UK, and some speaker-shattering basslines.

Wednesday, 14 December 2011

So here we go with the latest three-part instalment in the Bangers series - the big dancefloor slammers of the past twelve months.

It's getting harder to label these given the continued blurring of genres, but the first consists of what passes for mainstream "R&B" and "hip-hop" in 2011, and gives a useful indicator of where the music has been at for the past 12 months. I'll say no more on that.

For a more interesting excursion, therefore, hit the Reggae Dancehall mix, while once again, the most musically inspiring one for me is the UK Funky/ Dubstep offering. Plenty of exclusives there that will be of particular interest to anyone outside of the UK, and some speaker-shattering basslines.

Tuesday, 13 December 2011

Mark Devlin's debut book 'Tales From The Flipside' is an ideal Christmas present for any DJ, aspiring DJ, anyone who works in the music biz, or anyone who's ever been the slightest bit curious about just what it is that DJs do. No-one's ever broken it down like this before!

I'm doing a promo deal at the moment, so if anyone's interested, drop me an e-mail at mark@markdevlin.co.uk

Sunday, 11 December 2011

So here we go with the latest three-part instalment in the Bangers series - the big dancefloor slammers of the past twelve months.

It's getting harder to label these given the continued blurring of genres, but the first consists of what passes for mainstream "R&B" and "hip-hop" in 2011, and gives a useful indicator of where the music has been at for the past 12 months. I'll say no more on that.

For a more interesting excursion, therefore, hit the Reggae Dancehall mix, while once again, the most musically inspiring one for me is the UK Funky/ Dubstep offering. Plenty of exclusives there that will be of particular interest to anyone outside of the UK, and some speaker-shattering basslines.

‘Tales From The Flipside’ is a witty and candid expose of life at the sharp end of the DJing game. Armed with 20 years of anecdotes from out on the road, Mark Devlin breaks down what life is really like for the average non-superstar DJ ... and the truth is often very different from the common perception.

In this special podcast, MD relates some of the favourite stories in the book.

'Flipside' is an ideal present for any DJ, aspiring DJ, or anyone who's ever been curious about what it is that DJs actually do! Copies are available for £9.99 inc. P&P as part of a current special promotion. Please e-mail mark@markdevlin.co.uk direct to request your copy.

Wednesday, 7 December 2011

So here we go with the latest three-part instalment in the Bangers series - the big dancefloor slammers of the past twelve months.

It's getting harder to label these given the continued blurring of genres, but the first consists of what passes for mainstream "R&B" and "hip-hop" in 2011, and gives a useful indicator of where the music has been at for the past 12 months. I'll say no more on that.

For a more interesting excursion, therefore, hit the Reggae Dancehall mix, while once again, the most musically inspiring one for me is the UK Funky/ Dubstep offering. Plenty of exclusives there that will be of particular interest to anyone outside of the UK, and some speaker-shattering basslines.

Monday, 28 November 2011

Mark Devlin's debut book 'Tales From The Flipside' is an ideal Christmas present for any DJ, aspiring DJ, anyone who works in the music biz, or anyone who's ever been the slightest bit curious about just what it is that DJs do. No-one's ever broken it down like this before!

Saturday, 26 November 2011

The last weekend of October had seen me out in Latvia. For the first weekend in November, I was due back in the Baltic states, this time to spin in Tartu, Estonia's second city. Prior to that, however, I'd programmed in 24 hours to visit my old mate Drew Myrie, a former DJ who moved from the UK to Finland, and married his fiancee Mya earlier this year. The weekend consisted of a motley assortment of flights, boats, cars, buses and trains.

Once again, I dragged myself up in the middle of the night to catch a dawn Easyjet red-eye to Tallinn. Once there, I headed through the Estonian capital to the ferry port, where I boarded the Tallink MS Superstar to cross the Baltic Sea to Finland. This is a colossally huge cruise liner that appears to be the size of a small town, and it's a miracle the thing can move at all, let alone stay afloat. On occasion, it travels overnight to Stockholm, whereas the crossing to Helsinki takes two hours. The length surprised me, as the distance looks no further than Dover to Calais on the map. Drew later informed me that the crossing is deliberately protracted to get punters to spend as much money as possible in the array of on-board bars, restaurants and shops.

In a grey and gloomy Helsinki I hooked up with Drew and we headed to his apartment in the neighbouring town of Espoo. Impressively, he has a sauna in his crib - only right for the land where it was invented I guess - and a quick session before sleeptime seemed only right, as I got my insider's insight into the curiosities of life in the country.

It was bright and sunny on Friday morning - always a blessing in a land where suicide rates are high due to the crushing effects of so much Winter darkness. I jumped back on the ferry back to Tallinn, and from there, a two-and-a-half-hour train ride down to Tartu. The city is home to Estonia's largest university. My plans to take a long rest at the Hansa Hotel were dashed when it turned out the whole of the rest of my floor was taken by attendees of an annual dog show .... and they all had their whining, yapping and whimpering hounds in the rooms with them. Great timing.

A while later, Estonian top dog DJ Quest, with whom I was spinning that night, had arrived down from Tallinn, and we headed for a bite to eat before going on to Club Illusion, a former movie house that the owners have turned into a very cool club. It was my third gig there, and it struck me that the crowd were more full-on than last time, which made for an energetic and very enjoyable night. Fortunately the dogs were out for the count back at the hotel, so I was able to manage a few hours' kip.

It was good to get a healthy batch of laptop work done on Saturday as I coached back to Tallinn - moreso than I would have achieved back in the madness of Devlin Towers with the distractions that two toddlers inevitably bring! From my evening flight back to Stansted, I again darted straight to Milton Keynes to launch into my regular spot at The Living Room, feeling shattered from hours of travelling and the two-hour time difference by the end of it.

The third instalment of my Just Buggin' Illuminati podcasts (for want of a better phrase) dropped this month. This is slightly more 'specialist' in nature, shall we say, than other podcasts, and seemingly not for everyone. I felt inspired to bring together another bunch of tracks by hip-hop artists who are alert to what's really going on in this world, (about as far removed from the version of events you get in the mainstream media as it's possible to imagine.) You can catch that one right here, and if you're new to the whole subject, you may well find it intriguing to have a quick peek!

The rest of the month involved routine UK gigs, so I'll resist flogging a dead horse by looking for anything profound to say about them. The only other things worth mentioning are a couple of Youtube vids which surfaced from last month's classy Swish Ball in Swindon, which featured my interviews with UK soul legend Omar...

... and this one with 1Xtra's R&B DJ Ronnie Herel...

And to finish, just a reminder to keep checking Black Sheep, the most happening on-line UK black music magazine out there, It runs at http://www.blacksheepmag.com. And be sure to follow us on Twitter for all the latest news updates - http://twitter.com/#!/blacksheepmag

Thursday, 24 November 2011

‘Tales From The Flipside’ is a witty and candid expose of life at the sharp end of the DJing game. Armed with 20 years of anecdotes from out on the road, Mark Devlin breaks down what life is really like for the average non-superstar DJ ... and the truth is often very different from the common perception.

In this special podcast, MD relates some of the favourite stories in the book.

'Flipside' is an ideal present for any DJ, aspiring DJ, or anyone who's ever been curious about what it is that DJs actually do! Copies are available for £9.99 inc. P&P as part of a current special promotion. Please e-mail mark@markdevlin.co.uk direct to request your copy.

‘Tales From The Flipside’ is a witty and candid expose of life at the sharp end of the DJing game. Armed with 20 years of anecdotes from out on the road, Mark Devlin breaks down what life is really like for the average non-superstar DJ ... and the truth is often very different from the common perception.

In this special podcast, MD relates some of the favourite stories in the book.

'Flipside' is an ideal present for any DJ, aspiring DJ, or anyone who's ever been curious about what it is that DJs actually do! Copies are available for £9.99 inc. P&P as part of a current special promotion. Please e-mail mark@markdevlin.co.uk direct to request your copy.

Tuesday, 15 November 2011

Mark Devlin's debut book 'Tales From The Flipside' is an ideal Christmas present for any DJ, aspiring DJ, anyone who works in the music biz, or anyone who's ever been the slightest bit curious about just what it is that DJs do. No-one's ever broken it down like this before!

If anyone's interested in a copy, please hit me up direct on mark@markdevlin.co.uk for a special Pre-Christmas promo deal. There's further info, meanwhile, including a synopsis here.

Friday, 11 November 2011

On Saturday 17th December, the most meaningful UK black music magazine on the net heads to Manchester's dedicated black music party spot for its big Christmas bash.

There's a good reason why Manchester's Lounge 31 has earned a reputation as one of the city's liveliest party spots with one of the most hard-hitting musical programmes. Rather than being run by corporate investors in suits who are clueless when it comes to music, this venue is owned and operated by a group of young DJs.

The Brown Suga collective, headed by Eddie Down, had already been putting on successful nights in the North West for some time before the opportunity arose to manage their own spot.

Lounge 31 vies for trade with several other bars, clubs and eateries in the bustling Printworks complex, but always tends to come out on top with the city's urban music heads through hosting a variety of special events - album launch parties, celebrity and PA appearances, a healthy array of guest DJs, and regular competitions and giveaways. Even on a regular night, the in-house DJs and MCs guarantee a memorable clubbing experience.

Black Sheep Mag's Mark Devlin will be joining the regular Lounge/ Brown Suga/ Chic Amore crew on 17th December for a lively mash-up of tuneage, keeping the party faithful moving all the way to dawn. Expect plenty of giveaways too - well, it is nearly Christmas.

Thursday, 10 November 2011

Mark Devlin's debut book 'Tales From The Flipside' is an ideal Christmas present for any DJ, aspiring DJ, anyone who works in the music biz, or anyone who's ever been the slightest bit curious about just what it is that DJs do. No-one's ever broken it down like this before!

Tuesday, 8 November 2011

Absolutely gutted to hear of the untimely death of Heavy D at the age of just 44. This guy was a hugely under-rated rapper and one of the true influential figures in the hip hop/ new jack swing scene of the early 90s. This joint, produced by his cousin Pete Rock, with an all-star cast of MCs, remains one of my all-time favourite records. The reaper continues to have a field day with our favourite music artists. Another sad and cruel day in the game.

Saturday, 5 November 2011

OK, folks. Time for instalment 3 of this. Heavy music for awakened, open-minded people who like to pay attention to what's REALLY going on and don't need the mainstream media or monolithic corporations to tell them what to think.

Monday, 31 October 2011

Wow. This is as rare as a dodo's egg - a new Beyonce tune that's actually cool and soulful! Kanye on production too. Damn. Andre 3000's original cameo appears to have been dropped from the release in favour of J Cole, however. Why would you do that??? Here's the official video.

OK, folks. Time for instalment 3 of this. Heavy music for awakened, open-minded people who like to pay attention to what's REALLY going on and don't need the mainstream media or monolithic corporations to tell them what to think. Loving the irony of posting this on Halloween too, given some of the freaks being addressed in the lyrical content!

Sunday, 30 October 2011

Versatility is the hallmark of an accomplished DJ, (in my book at least,) and Saturday 1st October gave a chance to put it to the test. I was spinning my monthly spot in Bath at The Second Bridge, (known by a whole array of names over the years including Roxbury's, Club Blu, The Asylum and Babylon!) I started the night playing in the upstairs feeder bar, The Earl, dropping soul, funk and disco. A short while into my set, however, the manager advised that the DJ lined up to play in the 'urban' room hadn't shown up, and I was asked to immediately head down and take over. Fortunately, I had all the appropriate tuneage. It had been quite a while since I'd had to spin all the Drakes, Rick Ross's and Skeptas, but it all went down very well, and it turned out to be one of the wildest nights I've experienced in The Vaults.

There was an outstanding weekend lined up a few days later, musically speaking. First off was the much-anticipated Swish Ball in Swindon. Stu Campbell and Kev Wilkinson of Cuz We Love It Productions had the idea of staging a ticket-only, soulfully-based music night to a well-dressed, mature crowd, and had lined up a PA from Omar, alongside DJ sets from Ronnie Herel, Rampage and myself.

I kicked the night off, dropping the kind of music that always seems to go down well in Swindon, a town that's far more amenable to real music than most, (in the right venues, at least!) Ronnie then ignited the crowd, ready for Omar's PA, and Rampage's set afterwards. Between acts, I got roped in to interview Omar and Ronnie backstage for a DVD of the event. It was an all-round great night, with a stunning set of pictures as a result. Hold tight for the interview vids on Youtube soon as well, but in the meantime, here's a quick snatch of Omar's performance:

There were more good vibes the following night. DJs Martin 'In Full Swing' Rafferty and John Mustoe run a bi-monthly at Sloanes in Gloucester called Back In The Day. As the title suggests, it's all about 90s R&B, hip-hop and New Jack Swing, (although they also do alternative 00s nights called Back To The Y2K,) and they have a great strategy of only using DJs that were out there doing their thing then, rather than any Johnny-Come-Latelys! The place was rammed with clued-up party people, and I went into a zone during my two-hour set. John and Martin followed with outstanding selections, keeping me jamming and highly impressed that it's still possible to rock peaktime on a Saturday night with all this good stuff. A stunningly good night which I hope to get back to at the earliest opportunity.

The Just Buggin' Quarter 3 2011 podcast went live during the month, consisting of the heaviest underground hip-hop tunes I unearthed during the July-September period all in one place. You can get it from the Soundcloud page here -Just Buggin Q3 2011 by Mark Devlin

The other is slightly more 'specialist' in nature, shall we say, and seemingly not for everyone. I felt inspired to put together a third JB Illuminati Special, (for want of a better phrase.) This one brings together a bunch of tracks by hip-hop artists who are alert to what's really going on in this world, (about as far removed from the version of events you get in the mainstream media as it's possible to imagine.) You can catch that one right here, and if you're new to the whole subject, you may well find it intriguing to have a quick peek!

Fast forward to end of the month then, and on Friday 28th I found myself hauling my battered carcass out of bed at an ungodly hour to catch a 6am flight to Latvia. This marked what must be my 8th or 9th visit to the Baltic state, this time to spin at Club Tonuss in Jelgava, around 50km from the capital Riga. At the airport I was met by my contact, Alex, and we caught the bus. I say bus, it was more a mini-van of the type that transports labourers to building sites in the mornings. Another memorable travel experience. My in-room wi-fi was a big attraction, but I did the sensible thing and caught up on some sleep and food ahead of the night's gig.

Tonuss is a stark warehouse-style venue on the banks of the River Daugava, and had been decked out strikingly for Halloween. I played from up on a stage, and at the manager's request, took to the mic much more often than I normally would, constantly asserting my British credentials to get a crowd reaction, (his idea, not mine.) It was clear that only high-energy uptempo vibes would work, but I was glad that an extended session of UKG and UK Funky basslines got a great reaction.

The routing home on Saturday was a long one - the rickety mini-van back to Riga, a flight to Torp airport in Norway, then a five-hour stopover before a second flight back to Stansted. From there, it was straight off to DJ at the Living Room in Milton Keynes. I realised only that day that the clocks were due to go back, and the extra hour's sleep came in very handy indeed.

You'd never know it from listening to the radio or visiting the average High Street club, but there IS still incredible, classic-quality hip hop being made in 2011. The trouble is, you can never find all the good stuff in one convenient place.

Well, actually you can - the latest Just Buggin' quarterly podcast is here. Strictly essence. No fillers.

Mark Devlin is a UK-based club and radio DJ and music journalist, specialising in black/ dance music in its many forms. He’s also written his first book, 'Tales From The Flipside' (available at authorhouse.co.uk and amazon.co.uk) In more recent years he has begun speaking on radio and at events about the dark forces that have been manipulating and controlling the mainstream music industry for decades, and how this ties into the much larger picture of what is really going on in the world.